Plantain curry
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on November 25, 2013 at 10:18 am

This is an Indian curry that calls for green plantains. Buy them green as grass and use them before they ripen! Plantains are large bananas that are very hard and starchy when green. They are used very similarly to potatoes. They are very sweet when ripe and are then used for cooked desserts. They are not eaten raw as the more familiar (to us) sweet bananas are.

Yield: 4 servings

3 green plantains - use before they ripen for this recipe
one small onion
1 T ginger paste OR 4 cloves garlic
Popu/tadka:
1/8 tsp ajwain seed (optional)
2 tsp cumin seed
2 tsp whole black/brown mustard seed
1 tsp split chana dal (optional)
2 tsp split urad dal (optional)
2 T good quality cooking oil such as peanut or canola, etc.
Dry spices:
1 tsp coriander powder - roast seeds and grind if possible
1 tsp cumin powder - roast seeds and grind if possible
1 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp ground red chili (NOT chili powder like you use in Mexican dishes)
12-15 fresh curry leaves if possible; if not, try to find curry leaf podhi and use about 2 tsp of that
2 T ghee (browned butter)
Salt to taste

See the instructions for how to roast and grind your own spices - the cumin and coriander called for in this dish will be worlds better if you grind your own.

Cut the plantains into thirds lengthwise. I leave the skins on but if they are sufficiently green, you can probably cook them without the skins. If they are overripe, you don't want to use them for this type of dish anyway - make something sweet instead!

Put in a pot with plenty of water and bring to a boil. Leave at a simmer for 12-15 minutes - when done you can pierce them easily with a fork, similar to potatoes.

Drain and set aside to cool a bit so you can handle them. Peel and cube; set aside.

A popu (Telegu word) or tadka (which I think is the Hindi term) is a mixture of spices fried in oil. Frying the spices in oil releases their volatile flavor components into the oil, where they are retained and transferred more efficiently to the rest of the dish. To make a popu, have all your spices for the popu measured out SEPARATELY. I use small 1.5 oz metal sauce cups to hold my popu spices. You need to have them premeasured and ready to go because the popu progresses rapidly and if you have to stop and measure something it will burn. Also have the curry leaves (if you have them) set aside on a small plate or in a small bowl so they're ready to dump in.

1. Bring the oil to a medium high heat. Knowing how hot the oil should be requires a bit of experience - it's hot enough when the spices fry but do not burn.

2. If you are using the dals, first drop in the chana dal and let it fry until it just begins to brown.

3. Now drop in the urad dal. Let it fry for about 30 secs - if it begins to brown in that time, your oil is too hot.

4. Add the cumin seeds.

5. After about 30 secs, add the mustard seeds. They should begin to pop in about 30 to 60 seconds - if they don't your oil is too cool.

6. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves and the ajwain seed if you are using it, and stir well.

7. After about 30 secs, add your onions and garlic or ginger if you are using it. Stir well.

8. Reduce the heat slightly.

9. Now add the remaining spices, one at a time, with about 30-45 seconds between each addition. Really its not all that finely tuned, basically some of the spices take a bit more cooking to get rid of the raw taste.

10. Starting with the turmeric

11. then the ground red chili

12. then the ground coriander

13. then the ground cumin.

14. Add the curry leaf podhi, if you are using it, last of all.

15. By this time most of the oil you used will already be "soaked up" by the spices you've been frying. Add about 2 T of ghee to make up for that (plus ghee has a flavor of its own)

16. Add the cubed plantain and stir thoroughly to coat with the spice mixture

17. Add about 1/4 cup of water and salt to taste (1 tsp give or take) and cook with the lid on over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

18. Remove the lid and fry until the water has dissipated and the plantain is browned.

19. Serve with rice

comments

Submitted by 4paws2go on Thu, 2013-11-28 12:48.
Oh, YEAH! Thank you for posting this...I adore plantains, always have. This sounds out of this world delicious.
.And!!!!!, I have my very own curry leaf tree, ready for picking. I am ALL SET!
Indian food makes me happy!
Laura ;0)))))))

Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Fri, 2013-11-29 13:51.
*soooooo jealous* (of your own curry leaf plant!!!)